4: Mature women make an appointment

The male neighbors gathered around Locke's fake corpse, feigning sorrow while secretly rejoicing, while the female neighbors' eyes held more nostalgia and reluctance for him.

"Oh, god... Just how many of my female neighbors' beds have I been in?"

This was no different from Frank in *Shameless*, perhaps even worse.

Amid the chaotic scene, Locke couldn't immediately discern who was inextricably linked to his death.

If he had to guess, he felt every man had a motive.

Just as Locke was pondering,

The voluptuous Mrs. Newman approached him with graceful steps, her full hips swaying rhythmically.

Without any hesitation, she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the crowd.

"Dr. Michael, I've been feeling quite unsettled lately. Could I trouble you to come to my home tonight to give me a check-up?"

Mrs. Newman tilted her head up, blinking her eyes as she stared at him.

Her curvaceous figure couldn't be hidden even by her loose nightgown. Her face was dotted with freckles, which only added to her charm as a young married woman.

On the surface, Locke remained calm, but inwardly, he was somewhat surprised.

Although the partially revealed 'abyss' was quite alluring, his attention wasn't focused there.

What struck him was that she had just lost a lover and was already looking for another—and she had set her sights on him.

Locke was speechless.

Was this fate, a twisted connection, or simply her impeccable taste—

that she always seemed to find him?

"Dr. Michael, are you listening to me?" Mrs. Newman straightened her ample 'assets' and continued.

"Mrs. Newman, my apologies. I'm still reeling from the shock and haven't fully recovered."

As he spoke, Locke subtly withdrew his hand from her grasp.

That simple motion alone caused her 'headlights' to sway wildly. The soft sensation stirred ripples in his otherwise calm heart.

Though he had no interest in romance at the moment,

Locke had to admit that Mrs. Newman was indeed a rare beauty. Once he resumed his identity as Locke, rekindling their past connection wasn't out of the question.

"Mrs. Newman, perhaps you could schedule an appointment at my clinic, or I could visit you another day when I'm free."

Locke gestured toward the body on the stretcher and explained:

"You see, I still need to help with Mr. Locke's funeral arrangements. I don't have time for a home visit right now."

A flicker of displeasure flashed in Mrs. Newman's eyes,

but Locke ignored her. He gently pushed past her and returned to the corpse, promptly loading it into the car:

"Please accept my condolences, everyone. I believe Mr. Locke's spirit wouldn't want to see you all so heartbroken."

"Sigh... How tragic. He lost his parents and now he's gone too. What a waste of a demon hunter..."

After successfully spreading the news of his death, Locke didn't linger. He waved to the neighbors and drove away.

He drove so fast it seemed as if he wanted to rush the body straight to the crematorium.

Mainly, he didn't want to stay any longer.

After all, the longer he remained, the higher the risk of exposure.

As he left, the crowd gradually dispersed.

Among them, Mrs. Newman watched the departing car, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly. Her interest in Locke, who had rejected her, was piqued:

"Dr. Michael, huh? Quite interesting, isn't he?"

...

The scene shifted. The speeding hearse stopped near the hospital.

Locke's demon-hunting shop wasn't far from Michael's clinic, so the drive took only three to five minutes.

Inside the clinic, Michael skillfully pressed a disinfectant cotton ball against his arm, which had just been used for a blood draw, and asked curiously:

"Mr. Locke, what do you need my blood for?"

Locke casually stored the clinic keys and two vials of blood he had just obtained into his Personal Space:

"It's for the purification ritual, of course.

Only the blood of a close relative can guide a soul to heaven and grant it the Lord's protection."

"Thank you, Mr. Locke. Really, thank you so much."

"No need for thanks. Do you remember everything I told you to do?"

"I wouldn't dare forget."

Michael was completely taken in by his story, not doubting a word.

"I'll drive the body to the crematorium for incineration right away."

"Good, go ahead. Remember, if anything unusual happens during the cremation, contact me immediately."

Locke waved his hand, gave his final instructions, and sent Michael away from the clinic.

After all, having him around might disrupt his plans.

Locke sat alone in front of the television, quietly waiting for the werewolf Lucien and the Vampire Selene to show up.

He wanted to seek out these key characters himself to collect their blood, both to enhance his strength and to advance his mission.

But he had only seen the movies and didn't know the locations of the Werewolf Clan and Vampire Clan headquarters.

Moreover, with his current strength, launching a solo assault would be somewhat difficult.

So, for now, all he could do was wait.

He believed that with the two shots he fired during the day, Lucien would act soon.

While waiting, Locke turned on the clinic's television to gather information.

The news that followed further deepened his understanding of this world's dangers.

"The Elm Street nightmare serial killings, the Crystal Lake killer, the reappearance of the vanished town of Silent Hill, the mysterious disappearances in Hawkins, the blood orchid of Kalimantan..."

There was no doubt—this was the American Horror Story World.

And it was a world fused together from the many American horror movies he knew so well.

"Even though I'm familiar with the plots, I still need to proceed with caution."

Locke reminded himself inwardly.

There was no other choice. His current strength wasn't enough for him to act recklessly in this world.

And this wasn't a game—

death here was permanent.

In an abandoned underground tunnel somewhere in New York,

shadows moved and lights blazed brightly.

This was the Werewolf Clan's main headquarters in New York.

Lucien, the leader of the Werewolf Clan, dressed in black punk leather, stared expressionlessly at the disheveled Kruto who had returned in a sorry state.

He was quite displeased with Kruto's early return:

"Weren't you supposed to keep an eye on Michael Corvin? Why are you back already? If anything happens to him and it affects my plans, I'll hold you responsible."

Anyone who had seen the movies knew Lucien was scheming to create a Hybrid to take revenge on Victor, an elder of the Vampire Clan.

"Boss, it's not that I didn't want to keep watch—I was spotted by the target." Kruto scratched his head sheepishly.

He then recounted exactly how he had been surveilling Michael, only to be hit by two shots fired in quick succession when Michael turned around.

Lucien frowned, sensing something amiss:

"You're saying an ordinary human hit you effortlessly? And with two shots?"

"Yes."

Kruto pointed to the two holes in his clothes, his lips twisting in dissatisfaction:

"But if it happened again, I'm sure I wouldn't get hit."

Lucien studied the two nearly symmetrical bullet holes on Kruto's body, spaced evenly apart, and fell into thought:

"Hmph, if you couldn't react this time, I believe his next bullet would land right between your eyes."

"Impossible. Absolutely impossible."

Kruto refused to believe him: "How can an ordinary human compare to my reflexes? If he hadn't caught me off guard, I definitely could've dodged those two shots."

Lucien smiled but said nothing more.

From Kruto's retelling, he could picture the scene of their encounter.

He even had the fleeting thought that if he had been there, he might not have been able to dodge those two shots either.

"I must be overthinking it. Even if he carries that person's bloodline, he's still just an ordinary human—nothing more than a component for creating the Hybrid."

Seeing that Lucien didn't believe him, Kruto wanted to argue further, but Lucien raised a hand to stop him.

"I suspect he's discovered something. It seems we need to act sooner. Since you want to reclaim your pride, you'll come with me."

Unlike Vampires, werewolves weren't afraid of sunlight, so they could operate during the day.

Moreover, they had just received news—

a small Werewolf Clan outpost had been raided by Serena, the Vampire Clan's top female warrior, forcing them to accelerate their plans.

Originally, according to the plan with Kraven,

Lucien intended to wait until Emilia, one of the Vampire Clan's three elders, made an appearance before simultaneously collecting blood from both sides.

But now, they might not be able to wait.

After all, Michael might have discovered something and could be preparing to flee.

Plans often couldn't keep up with changes.

Lucien and Kruto gathered their gear, rallied a few more men, and sped toward the clinic where Locke was located.

Lucien's move was meant to catch Locke off guard, but little did he know it played right into Locke's plans.

At that very moment, Locke was sitting comfortably in the clinic, waiting for their arrival.